Hey Jealousy

Riding by yourself,
often,
maybe leaves to much time to think.
No, not maybe. Definitely.

People seem to either understand cycling,
or are bothered by cyclists.
Bothered, like cyclists are mosquitos.

The comment was thrown at me the other day,
“I’m sure you’re not one of them, but one thing I can’t stand is cyclists passing me on the right, and especially running red lights”.

Well, neighbor. I’ld like you to like me.
But I have the feeling,
I may be that guy.

I’m sure my neighbor has forgotten the comment. It was probably a quick fill in the akward silence comment, and bike stuff is an easy one with me. But it’s been stuck in my head for the last week.

I don’t run red lights*.
The little * is the “except on little side streets, three way stops, late at night or really early in the morning, raining and always WHEN THERE ARE NO CARS AROUND”. That’s my legal disclaimer. Anyone that says otherwise is mistaken, maybe.

I will also put in the other disclaimers – I always ride with a helmet, blinkies on the bike and bag, no ipod or phone, I ride with traffic, I hold my path and watch the road and listen to the traffic behind me. I would consider myself a decent maybe even ideal “roadway user”. I’ve even mastered the bike ninja skills of watching headlight beams on the ground to figure out how close the car is to the shoulder at night. That paid off! Me – 1, Tahoe halfway in the bike path – 0.

But I’m gonna pass the crap on the right with you! I may even roll up to the front of the intersection. And then do it all over again at the next light. And again. And again.

And I spent the last week trying to figure it out.

The red light stuff is nonsense.
I really can’t listen to a driver complain about cyclists running red lights, when I can count multiple cars daily running the light in front of my kid’s elementary school. With the crossing guard yelling at the drivers. Tell me which is an “issue”.

Yeah, that’s a bigger problem.
Funny too, that I never hear complaints about other drivers running red lights. Probably because everyone seems to do it. You don’t complain about actions that you do, and I see plenty of drivers running reds.

But passing on the right?
Look, that little crapped out twenty inch wide path next to the curb is my lane. You get the other eight plus feet. If traffic is at a stand still, well I’ld be an idiot to just stop and sit in traffic with all the cars. Right?
Especially if I have a rideable shoulder or side of the road.

And I’ll ride up to the intersection,and I’ll wait until the light turns. Then I’m off. Why?
Because it’s safer than sitting in blind spots.
And I really don’t need to watch my back for someone to make me part of a rearender sandwich while at a light. I’ve seen that play out while commuting home. Thirty seconds and the decision to not wait behind a car kept me from being a Flat Stanley. You can argue otherwise, but I’ve got earmuffs on!

I guess I also look at passing on the right as the only way I can pass. Not going to do it on the left, obviously. And since I’m not occupying an entire lane (that has more to do with drivers not understanding the definition of “share”) then “my lane is open and moving”.
If you want me to stop when you stop,
that’s fine.
I will demand the entire lane width,
and you’ll have to pass me legally.
Now I’m sure no driver wants that!

And now that we see the double standard,
don’t get mad.
If you’re not gonna give me a lane,
don’t expect me to sit at your bumper huffing exhaust.

That hate you have as I pass you on the right,
that’s jealousy.

It’s ok though,
soon the light will turn.
You can stomp on the gas,
and race to the next light.
And wait,
as I pass you again on the right.

It’s a silly little game.
And I laugh as I sing that Gin Blossom’s song.

7 Responses

Here Here! Although I would add this question for the drivers: Do you pass a cyclist when he is going slower than you? Well, I pass cars when they are going slower than me (in this case, completely stopped).

Thanks Bob. Although I try–especially when I’m tooling around in full team kit with paid sponsors’ logos flashing–to be the exemplary law abiding cyclist I know motorists would prefer, I appreciate your unapologetic reality check. Truth is, I’ve lived a lot of other places and I’ve NEVER seen as many people running red lights as do in Albany. Only explanation is that it is tolerated by both police and other citizens. So when, on occasion, I wait for several minutes at a light with no traffic because there isn’t enough metal on me to activate the sensor to EVER change the light, I do roll through. And when I finally get pulled over and ticketed for said transgression, they may have to mace me to calm me down.

something i always have meant to ask automobilists and/or fellow cyclists who get (seemingly jealously) pissed when i run a red light, in what i consider to be an intelligent and calculated fashion (the only way i do it).

OK… youre in a car at 3 am… you are sitting at a red light with no one around and feeling like an idiot… but you sit there anyways because we are engrained with the fear of getting a ticket – the cost of which would outweigh the benefits of not waiting the extra 1-2 minutes. if you were less fearful of a ticket and you knew you would not get in an accident because there are no other cars or pedestrians around, would you go on red? So, let’s say you’re on a bike. i for one am less fearful (or, at least less conditioned to be so) of getting a ticket on a bike. it’s 3am at the same stoplight. there is no way i am getting down off the saddle and waiting for green. the question: why? the answer: because I know darn well that running the light is safe.

So… to folks who are rigid about lights, I ask, is it your safety or adherence to the rule of law that, though may (ok, does) apply to bicyclists, was created with automobiles in mind, that you wait for the lights to turn. It is adherence to law, naturally.

In traffic where my safety is a concern, i absolutely wait at lights, but if i am not endangering myself or others, i do not. the 3am example is intended to be extreme… its definitely safe then… but why cannot safety be incrementally gauged and acted upon in a similar way in other situations. law is black and white. calculation of safety and impact is a broad spectrum.

at least that is my logic… anyone follow? some day there will hopefully be enough bicyclists that traffic law cannot only be applied to us criminally, but also might be written with our interests and safety in mind. at that point, drivers who kill cyclists will probably be more appropriately punished (more than a fine). until then, this is open territory for discussion in my mind.

i also want to throw in a couple relevant anecdootes from experiences in other countries:

in Mexico City stop lights are seen as optional (not by the police but by drivers) likely because they are not enforced. after 9pm, it is actually written law that female drivers do not need to stop at stoplights.

in Buenos Aires there are only traffic lights on major streets and there are no stop signs… at all. at every intersection, drivers are conditioned to guage their own safety and act accordingly. this worked much better in my experience than the numerous (some pretty awful) accidents that have happened on my corner where there is only a 2-way stop and drivers without a stop sign go 40-50 mph through the somewhat blind intersection.

Passing on the right is somewhat dangerous and has killed people. I’m not sure what the law says about passing stopped traffic on the right, but if you do it, you really should do it slowly and carefully.